I had intended to keep my mouth shut as this topic has been transversed in this venue before, but Eva's thought out and well-written post has tempted me to join the fray, especially since I have been somewhat dismayed by the plethora of teenage dramatics posting to the list as of late.
Too much too soon and a need for immediate gratification conspire to ruin the future of promising singers (Yes, Mark, I realize you can't save everyone.) One has to look no further than the career of Susan Dunn to realize the potential PERMANENT harm of singing beyond your means. There is so much required in ANY singing than correct notes and rhythms with a healthy tone quality and I cannot think of one singer I have known who was past this level before the age of 25. I count Susan Patterson (Met, San Francisco), Claudia Waite (Met, San Francisco), Caroline Whisnant (Des Moines, Tulsa, Kansas City, Arizona Opera), Adrienne Dugger (Met, Chicago), Carl Sologa (Houston) and Jon Villars (Chicago, Salzburg) as friends and I know for a fact that none of them sang heavy repertoire as undergraduates (and they also all sang in choirs, but that's another thread.) NOT ONE! And they are some of the leading dramatic and spinto singers on the professional level today. I know of no first-rate teacher who assigns dramatic rep to beginners. And anyone who is an undergraduate is a beginner in the field of operatic singing. Birgit Nilsson always said "I sing with a slim voice", and to consistently sing with a gathered, focussed tone takes more than a couple of years of voice lessons, not to mention the many other aspects of singing which must be mastered before even attempting any operatic repertoire.
***NOTE: If you are easily offended, delete this message now!***
Insistence on singing repertoire that fulfils immature vocal and emotional needs is nothing more than the masturbation of an operatic poseur. If you do not have the stamina to wait, how do you ever expect to have the stamina to face the odds in attempting to pursue a professional career in opera? Do you want to wait and find out in your 30s that the choices you made were foolish at best?
Eva is flabbergasted that a quack is suggesting this ambitious route? I ceased to be flabbergasted years ago...Now I'm just damn angry. I could stand to live the rest of my life and never hear a 20-year-old sing "O don fatale", "Nemico della patria", or "Dich, teure Halle" again (I have heard all three at NATS during my lifetime sung by juniors and seniors.) And the most sad part of the whole mess is that masquerading behind the push and muscular thrust of these voices often lies talent. (Mark, this is the last time I'm reminding you that you can't save everyone.)
Molly, I'm not picking on you, but having watched your posts for the last couple of years, I think you need to sit down with yourself and have a serious talk about musical skills, finding the right voice teacher (and that is paramount--having a good voice and singing opera are analogous to finding a great piece of marble and producing Michelangelo's David) and doing it before you are caught in the academic trap of being too far behind to catch up. Your vocal life is your responsibility and no one will take the disappointment and frustration for you of making poor choices. If I seem stern, then I am coming throught loud and clear. However, do not think for a moment that I do not wish you the very best. Otherwise, I would have simply deleted this message like I do most.
Best always,
Mark Montgomery
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